Representative Lucian C. Blanchard View All Years

Senator Jones from the Joint Committee appointed to draft suitable resolutions on the life of the Honorable Lucian C. Blanchard, submitted the following report :

CONCURRENT MEMORIAL RESOLUTIONS.

TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE THIRTY-SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY, EXTRA SESSION:

Report of joint committee appointed on the part of the Senate and House in accordance with the concurrent resolution adopted by the House and Senate, relative to memorial resolutions as to the life of the Honorable Lucian C. Blanchard, who died March 1, 1908:

Born at Diana, Lewis County, New York, April 15, 1839, he was reared on a farm and received his early education in the country schools. At the age of seventeen he started for the West, stopping at Mt. Morris, Illinois, where he continued his studies and taught school, combining also his work with the study of law. He was attracted to Colorado, but remained only one year, when he located at Newton, Iowa, and continued his teaching and study of law. He offered his services as a soldier in the Union Army, becoming a member of Company “K,” Twenty-eight Iowa Volunteers, and served about one and one-half years, engaging in the conflict at Fort Gibson, Champion Hills and the siege and capture of Vicksburg. Was discharged with his regiment at New Orleans. Coming north to Illinois again, he taught school, pursued his law course and graduated in the University of Michigan, Law Department, with honors, in 1866.

Starting in practice in Montezuma, Iowa, and being elevated to the bench as Judge of the Circuit Court, he was continuously an honorable and distinguished Judge for the period of seventeen years. In 1885 he located in Oskaloosa, opening a law office, and was a most successful and brilliant practitioner during the balance of his life, excepting the time occupied as a member of the General Assembly of Iowa. Elected as Representative of the Twenty-fifth General Assembly, and chosen State Senator for the Twenty-sixth, Twenty-sixth Extra, Twenty-seventh, Twenty-eighth and Twenty-ninth sessions, being a member of the Code Commission of 1897. He took a most important part in the legislation of this State, and acquitted himself with great honor and able statesmanship. He was President of the Iowa Bar Association, and member of the International Congress of Law, Vice Commander of the Iowa Department of the G.A.R., Grand Orator and Grand Treasurer of the Iowa Grand Lodge of Masons, associate editor of the Masonic Digest and a member of the Iowa Vicksburg National Park Commission.

A man widely known and highly honored and ever respected as having an unimpeachable character. Married three times, he leaves, as the children of his first wife, one daughter and one son, who honor his highly cherished memory, besides his widow. He was deliberate, conservative, reserved, dignified, but condescending and sympathetic, active, fearless in controversy, sharp with sarcasm, but ever tactful and thoroughly successful.

Resolved, That in the loss of this most highly honored citizen the family lose a faithful parent and husband, the community an enterprising and influential citizen, the legal fraternity a brilliant jurist and practitioner, the State a notable statesman, and the country a patriot who has left a lasting impress through his life’s work upon the page of history.

Resolved, That these resolutions be entered in the Journals of the Senate and House, respectively, and each member of the family furnished an engrossed copy by the Secretary and Chief Clerk.

A. F. N. HAMBLETON,

H. L. PIERCE,

D. W. DOW,

W. G. JONES,

C. J. A. ERICSON,

Joint Committee of Senate and House.

Senator Jones moved the adoption of the resolution.